NEW DELHI: July 8, 2016, is a day that is etched in the memory of Kashmiris. It was this day that poster boy of the Hizbul Mujahideen Burhan Wani was gunned down by security forces. Following his death, security forces would have breathed a little easier but little did they know that a new problem would confront them.
According to data from the Jammu and Kashmir government and the Institute of Conflict Management, the number of educated people turning to militancy has seen a sharp rise since the Burhan Wani encounter.
“It was natural. More than his life, his funeral was the thing that attracted more educated youth towards militancy in the Valley. He became sort of a rock star in the Valley. If you compare the numbers pre and post-2016 it will show you a clear picture. His death was a catalyst,” Arif Hussain Malik, a researcher in the South Kashmir University said.
In terms of numbers, while only 14 graduates drifted to militancy in the Valley from 2011 to 2015, the number more than doubled to 37 in 2016 alone. In 2017, the number of graduates joining militancy grew further to 49. In total, 393 youths chose militancy since 2011 of which at least 100 were graduates or post-graduates. Roughly 180 of them have been to school while 113 have either discontinued their schooling or have never attended school.
In the recent past, some of the bright minds who dedicated themselves to militancy include Rafiq Ahmad Ahnagar alias Saifullah (23), a B Tech degree holder, Masiullah Khan from south Kashmir, a graduate in mechanical engineering, Sajjad Yousuf from Pulwama, who held a postgraduate degree in Islamic Studies. Also, a teenager Ishaq Ahmad Parray, who had earned the nickname ‘Newton’ due to his academic brilliance, had scored 98 per cent in his Class X examinations but chose to join militant outfits. Another case is that of Ashiq Hussain Dar, who had an MA degree and a government job, but left behind a mainstream life to join hands with militant organisations. Another young Kashmiri, Naseer Ahmad Pandith, who also was the personal security officer of a former PWD minister, had also given up his job to become a militant.
Dr Ajit Kumar Singh, researcher at the Institute of Conflict Management said that militant organisations had always been on a look out for educated youth to join their ranks. Security forces declined to comment on the issue despite repeated attempts to contact them.